Prideland Beginnings
by Katanary
Summary: When two young lions fall from heaven, they only have a month to return before they lose their immortality. However, they find that they like earth. This is the story of Kiska and Jumer, and how they became the first king and queen of the Pridelands.
1. Prologue

"Dad?"

"Yes, Kiara?"

"How did the Pridelands come to be? Who was the first king?"

Simba smiled at his daughter. The golden lioness's enthusiasm was refreshing. Looking back at memories, Simba remembered when his father Mufasa would tell stories to all the cubs about the Great Kings of the Past. With a bright smile, Simba launched into his tale.


	2. Accidents Happen

"Kiska!!!"

"Yes, Intas?"

"Where are my sons?"

Kiska sat on a bank of clouds, her tail swishing back and forth impatiently. Lately her king had been treating her much more like a servant than a friend. She rattled her brains, trying to remember where his sons had gone. Sighing heavily, Kiska said back to Intas, "Himask and Dumar went to the Caves, and I believe that Jumer followed them."

"Good. The Caves are safe. There are no ways to Earth from them. The boys are at no risk from falling."

Kiska sighed. Intas treated Earth like a wasteland. She herself had been down there many times before. The place was beautiful and lush, filled with plenty to eat and to drink. However, no lions from the Great Sky Pride had yet set paw down upon the Earth to settle for good. Other Sky Prides often sent down groups of lions to start prides. But Intas was too stubborn. He refused to let anyone stay on Earth for more than three days at a time. Kiska and he had argued quite a lot about starting a life down there. The land was prosperous and wonderful; why not make the most of it? But Intas said there were dangers. The only danger to the Sky Prides were the Shadow Prides, and although they cannot reach the Heavens, they can easily prowl the Earth. Kiska knew that after spending too much time on Earth, your immortality fades away, leaving you mortal and vulnerable. But to Kiska, this would be a wonderful life. To live and have a mate, then cubs, watch them grow and start their own families, and then to die. Then she could float right back up her and live out her existence as an angel. Intas argued that life down there was exactly the same as life in the Heavens, but Kiska didn't believe so.

Just then, Queen Liana walked in. She smiled and laid next to her husband. He licked her forehead, then put his head down on his paws to nap. Queen Liana chatted with Kiska for a while before they were interrupted by loud shouts.

"Mother! Father! Kiska!"

Intas and Liana were alert immediately. They cocked their ears forward and watched as the youngest prince, Himask, came rocketing into sight.

"What's wrong, Himask?" The Queen cried, her voice high with alarm.

"It's Jumer!" Himask cried. "He's falling through the clouds!"

"Jumer!" Kiska, Intas and Liana shouted at the same time. They sped off at top speed, Himask following closely behind. All the while, Kiska's thoughts race in fear.

Jumer? The middle cub of Liana and Intas. He was her age, born just days before herself. They had always been close friends. Please, not Jumer!

The ground flew beneath their paws, but they could not make it go fast enough. Jumer was in danger. If he fell from the clouds and down to Earth, it would be near impossible to bring him up again. Kiska knew the two younger princes had not yet been granted their wings that would let them fly down to Earth. She, however, had been given wings early, being assistant to the king. Not to mention, the fall from the Heavens could kill. With a boost of fear, the lions propelled themselves forward, towards the caves.

"Where?" Intas roared at his youngest son.

Himask, shivering in fear, cried, "The lowest cave, inside the biggest!"

Kiska ran alongside her king and queen. They slipped into cave and stopped.

"Where is the other cave?" Liana screeched, torture coating her every word.

Himask looked around. His bright eyes were brimming with tears. "It was here, I know it was here!" He began sobbing. Kiska suddenly shouted, "There!"

There was a hole, deep in the farthest corner of the cave, nearly invisible in the shadows. Liana shot through, Intas only steps behind. Kiska told Himask to stay where he currently sat before following them. The cave should have been pitch black. Instead, little holes of light shot up from the bottom at random intervals. Kiska gasped. Holes to Earth. From up ahead, the terrified shrieks of a young lion facing his worst fears could be heard.

"Hold on!" Liana screamed. Kiska broke into a run. She nearly slammed into Liana, who was bent over one of the holes. Kiska could make out the shapes of two paws holding onto the rock, and they were slipping. She could see why Jumer couldn't get out. His parents couldn't get a good grip on him anywhere to pull him up. Dumar danced around, his eyes wild as he watched his parents fighting to pull their child back through the hole.

"How can we get him out?" Kiska asked, voice agonized. She backed up a few steps, and one of her feet slipped through a hole in the caves. Struck by an idea, she called out to her king.

"Intas, what if I fly through the holes and push him through? I know he's big, but if you were pulling him, I'm sure it would be much easier!"

For a moment, Intas's eyes were torn. Then, he nodded . He turned back to his son and explained Kiska's idea. With a deep, reassuring breath of air, Kiska backed up then dove through the hole in the rock. She flew out into the open air, searching for Jumer. Moments later, she caught sight of his wriggling body. Most of him was visible. Only his paws still remained in the Heavens. Kiska hadn't realized how big Jumer was. There was no way she'd be able to push him up. He'd be too heavy.

And then, Kiska's heart stopped. With a loud yell, Jumer's paws fell through the hole and he started to plummet towards Earth. Without giving it a second thought, Kiska dove straight after him.


	3. Searching

Like an arrow from a bow, Kiska sped towards the falling prince. She quickly caught up to him and cried out, "Grab my paw!"

Fear shining brightly in his eyes, Jumer did as he was told. He grabbed onto Kiska tightly. With all of her might, Kiska spread out her wings and leaned back. Suddenly, the two lions weren't falling. They were gliding. Jumer fought for a better hold on Kiska and eventually managed to clamber onto her back. If he was too heavy, she didn't complain.

After drifting slowly for a few minutes, Kiska folded in her wings and slid into a low dive. She landed gracefully on the ground, despite the fact that she was burdened by another lion. Jumer jumped off of her back and looked at her, still terrified.

"What will we do?" was all he could say.

Kiska looked up towards the clouds. Her heart sank.

"I don't know, my prince," she sighed. "I don't know. Come o. We must find a place to stay."

Jumer followed obediently. He was absolutely silent. This bothered Kiska some. She'd rather that he would talk quite a lot that not at all. The silence was eerie. There was not a single animal in sight. Kiska realized that she and Jumer had landed in some sort of desert. The air was dry and hard to breathe. Sand squished between their toes and rubbed them painfully. Kiska didn't think she'd ever been in such horrible conditions. They walked for quite a while. The only thing in sight was the horrid, yellow sand. Then, she spotted something in the distance. Something green.

"Oh, look!"

Up ahead there was a little oasis. Trees stuck up from the sand around a pond of crystal-clear water, creating a shaded area. Sprinting ahead, Jumer went to stand in the pond. He lowered his head to the pool and drank thirstily. Kiska joined him, not caring if she slurped or looked silly. Never in her life had she been so parched. Refreshed and feeling much better, Kiska laid down in the shade to rest. She knew that she and Jumer would have to find food soon. That meant getting out of this desert. Getting up again, Kiska circled the oasis and studied the horizon from every direction. Her eyes probed along the dunes for several hours, trying to see even a hint of anything but sand.

When Jumer joined her search, their work went faster, but even still, they had no luck. Night began falling. Heavy-hearted, Kiska and Jumer met up again and laid under the trees. They looked up into the sky.

"I wonder if my father and mother and brothers can see us," Jumer whispered. "Do you think they can?"

Kiska bit her lip. Only in the daytime could you see down from the Heavens. The night belonged to the Shadow Prides of down-below. The moon was the only light in the otherwise black night. Kiska shuddered. The Shadow Prides were a fierce enemy, and terrifying brutes. Only once had she seen one, when she was very little. All that she remembered of it was its glowing eyes…

And then she was asleep.

Jumer whimpered all night long, sometimes whispering his mother's name, or calling out to his brothers. He did not stay still for too very long. Constantly he rolled around, fidgeting and worrying even through the haze of sleep. It was the same for Kiska. She dreamed of her own mother. Her mother was calling her name, calling her home. When Kiska woke in the middle of the night, she was crying. Beside her, Jumer was staring up at the moon, his face blank.

"Did I wake you?" He asked solemnly, not looking away from the moon.

"No," Kiska replied softly, trying to hide her tears.

"I'm sorry that I was blank yesterday. I should be taking charge more. So I shall from now on. I have made a decision, if you're willing to hear it."

Kiska smiled, happy to have her old friend back to almost-normal. "Continue, my prince."

Jumer nodded. "We should follow the moon. The way it sets." he nodded to the moon. "I'm sure that somehow we'll find a decent home. I can feel it in my heart."

Strangely enough, Kiska felt it, too. There was a strong pull from the direction of the moon. In her mind's eye, she saw herself and Jumer, walking along at night, and finding a land worth living in. She smiled.

"Alright. Should we travel by night, then? I think that would be best. Then we would be alert if any Shadow Lions were to attack. At night, we're so vulnerable."

"No wonder my dad made you his assistant. You have such good ideas. I think that traveling at night would be best. We should start tonight. Maybe we'll find something by morning."

So the two young lions set off. The night was much cooler than the day had been. Another bonus neither of them had thought of. Kiska was on her highest guard as she walked along. Meeting up with Shadow Lions was a terrifying thought. The moon shone bright though, and she would be able to spot anything that came near them.

Towards dawn, when there was a tiny sliver of light on the horizon behind them, Jumer stopped. Kiska was about to ask what was wrong, but before she could say anything, she felt it too. And then she smelled it. Like the strong musk of sweaty buffalo mixed with the stench of rotten meat, the smell perfumed the air all around them. Loud yowls then arose from a little dip between two dunes, not far from where Kiska and Jumer stood. The strong, rusty smell of blood rose in the air as the shrieks grew fainter. Jumer and Kiska dashed up the sandy hill to see a young lion tangled in a fight with a large black figure. A Shadow Lion.

"Stop!" Jumer cried, running down into the little dip. Kiska followed. The Shadow Lion turned, roaring, and was about to attack them, when the sun burst over the horizon. With a shriek of rage, the Shadow Lion evaporated, leaving no trace he was there. The young lion he had been fighting was lying on the ground bleeding out. Kiska made to help her, but the young lion stopped her.

"I am beyond help. Just watch."

His eyes closed slowly and his mouth went slack. Then, a small ball of light floated out of the lion's open mouth. It hovered for only a moment before rocketing up into the sky. Kiska was about to ask what had just happened, but just then, where the light had disappeared, a bright new speck of light shone in the fading night.

Though Jumer and Kiska were still curious, they continued their journey. The sun was barely too much higher in the sky, when both Jumer and Kiska spotted something in the distance.


	4. The Pridelands

Simba took a break. His adult daughter stared up at him with piercing eyes.

"Well?" She asked impatiently. "What did they see?"

"Let me take a minute to breathe," Simba said, smiling. He noticed now that most of the pride was listening to him. Kovu's eyes were wide, taking in every ounce of knowledge of the past. Everyone was silent for a few minutes before Simba began again.

* * * * *

Glorious green hills lay before the two young lions. Kiska and Jumer used the very last of their energy as they bounded towards the fresh grass. Then, with sharp gasps, they stopped short. Dividing them from the green paradise was a huge river, cutting deep into the rock. Cautiously, Kiska approached the edge of the great river. From on top of the rocky cliff, it was quite a way down to the river. It was a gorge.

"It must end somewhere!" Jumer yelled, exasperated. Kiska just shook her head. She knew just how long gorges could be. Disappointed, the lions trudged upriver, hoping to find a safer place to cross. Kiska spotted some trees up ahead and went to lie down. Her stomach rumbled loudly from underneath her. In just a few minutes, she had fallen asleep.

Sometime in the night, Jumer woke her.

"Kiska, come see what I found!"

Feeling slightly reenergized, but still empty, Kiska followed. A light breeze had picked up and Kiska could smell something, but she had never smelled it before. It smelled like blood, but there was almost a sweet edge to it. The smell was appetizing. Kiska's stomach rumbled even more loudly. Jumer led her to a carcass in the sand, the source of the smell.

"It's only been dead a few hours, I'd guess. Whoever killed it didn't want it all. It's ours for the taking!"

Kiska didn't hesitate. She began eating at a rapid pace. Jumer ate beside her. Before long, they were both stuffed by the delicious meat. Feeling almost bouncy with hope and determination, Kiska led Jumer back to the river. She heard rushing water, not like the murmurs and whispers of a flowing river, but more like crashing. Kiska could only guess what that meant. Only minutes later, illuminated by the moonlight, was a waterfall. All of it was pouring into the gorge from the river above. There was no change in the ground the lions stood on. The gorge evened out onto land.

Kiska and Jumer raced ahead, up to the river. They passed the waterfall and ran upriver quite a way, not so close to the dangerous current of the falls. The water was much shallower up here. With strength renewed, Jumer splashed into the river, Kiska close behind. They never once had to swim. The water only came up to their necks when it was highest. It took them only a few seconds to cross. And then, they were among the green of the hills.

Fueled by her joy, Kiska ran headlong into the night. Jumer kept easy pace with her, stealing along silently. Then Kiska stopped. Jumer rushed right past her before turning around and coming back to her.

"Okay, you need to stop doing that," he teased playfully. Kiska wasn't listening. Her eyes were fixed on something in the distance. Jumer followed her gaze. His jaw dropped.

Gleaming pearly white in the moonlight stood a rock. But it wasn't just any rock. Although it was somewhat small on the horizon, they could easily tell that it must be huge in real size. The rock stood straight and tall, with a long rock point jutting out from it at the base. Its majesty was undeniable.

"Let's go."

Even faster than before, the lions tore across the ground, miles flying away under their paws. The rock slowly but steadily grew larger. When finally they reached its base, huffing and puffing, they couldn't see the top.

"There's no one here," Jumer commented as he began exploring the giant rock. Kiska ducked into the large cave, amazed by the size.

"Kiska, come here!"

Worn into the rock was a path up to the highest point. Together they climbed it. Kiska gasped when they reached the top. She could see for miles! The sun was rising in front of them.

"This will be our home," Jumer declared. He added, "For now."

Kiska was overwhelmed by a sudden rush of emotion. She buried her face in Jumer's neck. This is what she had wanted all along, and now she was going to get it! He hugged her back, smiling lightly. Earth wasn't as bad as his father had said.

"Well," Jumer whispered, pulling away, "I think I should claim this land as mine. As ours. Everything the light touches, from the top of this rock, will be ours."

Kiska beamed, blushing slightly. She and Jumer descended the top of the rock and went to the point of rock that jutted out. Although Jumer didn't know too much about being a ruler, he had learned enough. Sucking in a huge amount of air, he puffed out his chest and, opening his mouth, released an ear-splitting roar. If the world hadn't been awoken yet, it was awake now. Frightened animals of every species herded around the big rock. Their murmurs flew threw the air.

"Listen to me!" Jumer shouted. "I claim this land as mine! You are all free to come and go as you please, except for other carnivores. I will not have them hunting you on my land!"

The herds gave a great cheer. Kiska watched as lions and hyenas alike were chased away by angry herds of wildebeest and buffalo and elephants.

"And what is your name, Great King?" a young zebra asked.

Jumer puffed out his chest again and yelled. "I am King Jumer! This is my queen, Kiska."

Kiska blushed furiously. _Every king needs a queen, I suppose_, she thought. The zebra spoke again.

"What shall these lands be called?"

Jumer didn't hesitate. "This shall be Pride Rock. You are now living in the Pridelands."


	5. Growth

Simba paused again. Kiara's eyes were twice their normal size.

"I'm related to an angel?" She asked.

"Pretty far up the line," Simba said smiling, "but yes. May I continue?"

"Please do!" Chorused most of the pride. Simba smiled and began where he left of.

* * * * *

The next day, while Jumer and Kiska were out marking borders, two young lionesses and a small cub approached them. The older of the two lionesses spoke.

"King Jumer, we have been on our own since my mate left my sister and me. Please, let us join you and your queen. We are both excellent hunters, and we believe that my sister is expecting cubs. I know that kings don't usually like other male's cubs, but please, let us join you."

Jumer's heart went out to the young family and he readily accepted them into his pride. The older female's name was Jimma, and the younger one Mai. The cub, a young female, was named Tanashati. Kiska quickly came to know and love the little family dearly, and began to regard them as her own family. In the next few days, several more lionesses and even a few rogue males asked for entry to the pride. Only the males were turned away. Other animals also began to show loyalty. An aging mandrill came to Jumer and offered his services as a shaman. A young hornbill and her family pledged to be assistants to the king, doing for him whatever need be done. Only four days had gone by since the start of his rule, and Jumer already felt that he had started a great kingdom that would last far longer than any other.

During those first days, Jumer and Kiska were constantly together. Their close bond was woven even more tightly, and their friendship blossomed into love. Jumer realized that he would have never even survived if not for Kiska. His love for her was now unbreakable. He vowed that nothing would ever separate them. Kiska was just as thrilled with her new life and her new love, but something was always picking at her mind. Her pride was her family, her best friend her husband, but what of her family in the heavens? The time was slowly melting away. The month would be over before they even knew it. Then the Shadow Prides would be a real threat. They didn't dare bother the Pridelands when there were immortals about, but when the immortality faded, there would be no stopping them. Kiska tried to push these thoughts to the back of her head, and worry about more important things.

On their seventh day on Earth, while Kiska was hunting with the pride, the old mandrill's daughter, Ilana, ran up to them.

"My…Queen," she huffed between breaths. "Come…quickly!"

"What's wrong?" Kiska asked, alarmed.

"It's…Mai. The cubs…are coming…early!"

"Mai!" Jimma and Kiska screamed. They raced back to Pride Rock, the hunt entirely forgotten. Jumer paced outside, his eyes worried. He shot them a desperate glance as they ran past. Mai was laying on the rock floor, looking utterly drained. She would moan every once in a while, and stretch painfully.

"What's wrong with her?" Jimma screeched.

The old mandrill shook his head sadly. "Two of da cubs were stillborn. She passed out when she heard. But dere is annuda cub on da way."

"What?" Jimma asked, finding it hard to understand the mandrill's strange dialect. Kiska explained. "There's another cub on the way."

Jimma began to cry for her lost niece and nephew. Kiska felt tears prick her eyes and had to look away. The two lionesses stayed with Mai until sundown when she woke up and her last cub was born. Mai licked the heads of her two dead cubs before taking care of her surviving daughter.

"Look at how small she is, and how golden," she whispered in wonder. "We shall call her Sol, for her fur is gold like the sun."

A voice spoke up. Kiska didn't realize it was her own until she had finished talking. "Then she shall be betrothed to my firstborn son. Your bloodline shall become royalty."

Jimma and Mai looked at her in wonder. Kiska nodded her head resolutely. She wasn't going to change her mind. However, she didn't realize until later that night that she had promised them that she would live out the rest of her life a mortal.


End file.
